Your abdominal muscles are weakened and stretched after birth. To tighten these muscles and give your abdominal region a slim appearance, do exercises that specifically tone these muscles. Some of the best types of exercises are those that work your transverse abdominal muscles. These muscles include the back and spinal region, sides and vertical abs in the front of your body.
Transverse Abdominals
The key to getting the most out of your postpregnancy abdominal workout is to focus on the entire package. To do this, you need to work your transverse abdominal muscles. These muscles are responsible for stabilizing your trunk, spine and ribs, and for allowing you to twist and bend side to side. Engaging the lower back muscles, sides and abdominal muscles that line the front of your stomach not only helps you to get back to your prebaby body, but it also strengthens your core, helps with posture and provides better support for carrying around your baby all day.
Standing Exercises
The first type of transverse abdominal exercises to incorporate into your workout are those that you perform standing up; you can do these at home using a set of 5-lb. dumbbells or free weights. Do side-to-side and back-to-front bends using your weights to work both your obliques and lower back, as well as your abs and spine. The key is to move your body in all directions so that your entire core gets worked at once.
Floor Exercises
Perform head-lifts by lying on your back with your knees bent. Slowly bring your head off the floor and hold this position for five seconds, feeling your abdominal muscles tightening. Repeat this exercise 10 times. To do the pelvic tilt, position yourself on your hands and knees. Push your pelvis toward the floor, and squeeze your abdominal muscles. Hold for three counts and release. This exercise focuses on both your back and abdominal muscles.
Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, the same muscles you use to stop the flow of urine midstream. These exercises tighten vaginal and lower abdominal muscles, helping you reduce bladder leakage and heal the perineum after giving birth. Performing kegel exercises is simple, discrete and only takes minutes. Squeeze your vaginal muscles imagining that you are stopping the flow of urine. Tighten your buttocks muscles at the same time and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 15 to 20 times at least three times per day.
References
- Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma: Physical Therapy Corner: Low Back Pain and Lumbar Stabilization Exercises
- Ab, Core and Stomach Exercises: Standing Abdominal Exercises: Benefits of Standing Ab Exercises and Core Exercises
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Getting in Shape After Your Baby is Born
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